World Cup 2018: reaction to Argentina's late win and Germany buildup – live!

For pragmatic Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk, the campaign was a disappointment, but by no means a disaster.

“Not a success but also not a failure,” was his verdict. “I think everyone saw that we got a lot of compliments for the way we play, only you don’t win games with compliments.”

And then of course, there was Tim Cahill.

What more can you say about the guy? Australia’s all-time leader goalscorer, who came on for a record-equaling fourth World Cup appearance (joining Matildas greats Cheryl Salisbury and Melissa Barbieri), and came a blocked shot within joining an incredibly elite group of players to have scored at four World Cups. To underline just how special that achievement is, in the last 48 hours we’ve seen players like Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi join him in scoring at three.

His absence will be keenly felt in coming years for a team that in fairness has struggled not just at this tournament, but in truth for years, to find routes to goal from open play that aren’t The Golden Forehead.

Kieran Pender had more from Van Marwijk in Sochi:

“Against France, in football we were at least equal; against Denmark, in football we were even better. Today I have the same feeling. But in all three of the games we couldn’t really make the difference in goals.”

It’s a simple game, football.

It was the end of the Russia 2018 journey for two more nations last night, the plucky Iceland on their first ever World Cup adventure, and Australia’s Socceroos, and given perhaps there’s a few more of them awake right now, let’s start with Australia.

Nick Ames took in the action from Sochi:

And amid the twitter hysteria (NATIONAL INQUEST NOW), John Davidson offered a more sombre assessment of where perhaps the 43rd ranked nation are at, especially faced with three sides at tournament’s draw considered in the world’s top 12.

And like the tremendously courageous Iran before them, you can’t help but feel shattered for Nigeria; who under Bordeaux legend Gernot Rohr had galvanised into a formidable team unit, and outside of the desire perhaps to see Messi continue at this tournament, might have been the sentimental favourite of many a neutral.

No two sides have met more at World Cups then Nigeria and Argentina. If life’s guarantees are death, taxes and Germany making the semis, then for West African fans going out to Argentina must feel equally a fait accompli. Five times they met at the World Cup, five times they’ve lost to Argentina. Perhaps none as heartbreaking as this one.

If you somehow missed any of that match, here’s Sid Lowe’s report from St Petersburg:

And let’s not forget that before Rojo’s remarkable redemption strike, the Argentine centre half could have broken the hearts of his nation with an incongruous handball, off his own head, that in keeping with VARs scattershot approach to ball-to-hand incidents in the box this World Cup could have very, very possibly been given.

That was very much the opinion of Nigeria’s crestfallen captain, Jon Obi Mikel. “I don’t understand how that was not a penalty: it was a clear handball,” he said post-game. “It was worse than the one that Portugal were given yesterday.”

Messi for his part, admitted to the tremendous strain he and his fellow Argentines were under; as he so eloquently put: “I don’t remember having ever suffered so much.”

Sid Lowe again with the post-match wash up:

And one fan lived ever ball in the manner perhaps in which he’s lived his entire incredible life. Kicking every ball, feeling every feeling - riding the complete rollercoaster: the one, the only, Diego Maradona.

At times he wasn’t his best, it has to be said, and there was genuine concern at full-time for one of the true maestros of the game.

Here’s wishing the legend from Lánus a full recuperation.

So. Where to even start with Group D!

We’ve not wanted for excitement in Russia 2018, but these two final games were something else. At one stage this topsy-turvy pool almost boasted the following:

Iceland lose to Nigeria; Nigeria lose to Argentina; Argentina lose to Croatia; Croatia loses to Iceland. Football, eh?

And if I’ve got these back-of-envelope calculations correct, it went a little like this:

1-14min: Nigeria are going through; 14-51min: Argentina are going through; 51-86min: Nigeria are going through; 86-93min: Argentina are going through.

And that doesn’t even factor in Iceland fighting away in the background, being from 0-53 min and 76-90 min just a goal away from sending either of the above sides out.

No wonder La Albiceleste and Super Eagles fans were going through the ringer!